title: Prognostic factors in thyroid carcinomas.
abstract: The AA review the so-called prognostic factors in thyroid carcinoma taking in consideration four of the five major histotypes of thyroid tumours: Papillary ca. (5-year-survival -91%), follicular ca. (73%), poorly differentiated ca. (48%) and undifferentiated ca. (0%), with an emphasis on papillary carcinoma. The prognostic factors are described in two major groups: Clinicopathologic factors comprising the classic clinicopathologic features--age, gender, size, extrathyroidal extension, vascular invasion, nodal metastization and distant metastization--and Biologic factors, comprising a group of heterogeneous and less classic features such as DNA content and proliferation markers, oncogenes and tumour-suppressor genes, growth factors and growth factor receptors, pro- and anti-apoptotic genes, mucin and histo-blood group antigens, cytoskeletal filaments, adhesion molecules, and so forth. Finally, the AA address briefly a third group of (prognostic) factors that reflect the interaction between the neoplastic cells and their microenvironment: extracellular matrix and proteolytic enzymes (laminin, collagen IV, fibronectin, collagenases, alpha-1 anti-trypsin) and lymphocytic infiltration (S-100 positive cells, IGF-I and IGF-I receptor).
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Portugal.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sobrinho-Simões
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009857:Oncogenes; D011379:Prognosis; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm